Ariane 5 rocket on the launch pad

The European-made Ariane 5 rocket stands poised for flight on its Guiana Space Center launch pad in the jungles of South America, set for blastoff May 15 carrying a direct-to-home TV broadcasting satellite for Japan and a telecommunications spacecraft for Vietnam. The commercial geostationary satellites are the 100th and 101st built by Lockheed Martin.

See our Mission Status Center for the latest news on the launch.

Photo credit: ESA-CNES-Arianespace